the unforgetable vacation
by sassymax
Summary: A trip to Texas has life changing reprecussions for a young Robin and her cousins.please r and r
1. Chapter 1

"Girls are you done packing yet?" Mac called up the stairs.

They had spent the whole Saturday afternoon up in their rooms trying to figure out what to bring with them to Texas. Georgie and Maxie spent some time there with their Great Grandmother Maria every summer, but this would be the first chance Robin ever got to see the ranch.

The first voice to respond was his eighteen year old niece Robin. "I've been done!"

Her tone was just as angry as it had been for weeks now, ever since her first love died. One moment she would be mad as hell at the world and, in the next, is crying at the unfairness of it all.

Mac longed to be able to make her pain disappear but he knew, all too well since his brother's death, that it was something she would have to work through over time.

Maxie answered him next. "Almost done."

Almost I bet, he thought. That young girl seemed to have more clothes than her sister and cousin combined, and she always begged to buy more.

Four year old Georgie came bounding down the stairs. "Daddy, me too. I'm done too." she said she nearly tripped over her shoe lace causing both Mac and Felicia to laugh.

Robin stomped down after her and passed Mac without a word, heading to the dinner table.

"Maxie lets go!" he yelled "The food is getting cold."

"One minute, okay." shouted back a less then happy Maxie.

"Ya sure … Maxie, come and eat. Now," yelled Mac.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming" yelled Maxie.

She and Lucas bolted down the stairs in a fit of hysterical laughter.

"What so funny?" Georgie asked, as she hopped down the hallway and into the kitchen wearing the cutest pink and white bunny costume.

"Oh, its nothing. Just a joke Robin told us," answered Lucas as he winked at Maxie.

They both looked at Robin, smirking, but by now her expression was pure heartbreak. It was obvious Stone was on her mind again.

Noting the strained silence, Felicia diverted the conversation to something she knew would keep them all talking through the rest of the meal. "Girls, shouldn't Mac come to Texas with us?"

Max's head snapped to the side and he glared at his wife

"Felicia, don't ask them that."

But it was too late. Maxie and Georgie were both looking at him with hopeful expressions. Robin even regarded him curiously.

"Well, can you?" asked Maxie

"Sorry, honey, but I have to work," he answered.

"Take a break and come with us," suggested Felicia. "You've more than earned it. You're always there and hardly never here these days."

Guilt pierced his heart at her tone."We're working a big case right now."

Georgie pouted "But daddy…"

She was always the one who called him Dad or Daddy, not Mac. It never failed to touch him.

He loved the kids and hated denying them anything. Maybe that was why there were so much clothing, makeup and toys lying around this home.

If he could take a couple of weeks, or even days, to go to Maria's ranch he would. But he had tons of work to do. The paperwork was literally taking over his desk.

Letting out a breath, he made his voice sound final. "Its just not in the cards for this trip."

Maxie jumped up."Fine … I don't want you there any way … you're always working. I hate you!"

"Ditto," sneered Robin.

Both her and Maxie fled the room and moments later two doors slammed upstairs.

Lucas concentrated on his food, shying away from this family drama. In three bites he was done and hurrying upstairs after his cousins.

Georgie's lips started to quiver. Her little brown eyes filled with tears. "Daddy, don't you love us?"

Mac gave Felicia a look that said, _Do you see what you did?_

He brought his youngest daughter into his lap and said, "Of course, I do."

"Then why don't you want to come with us?"

"Next time," he murmured, dropping a kiss on her forehead. "I promise."

She smiled at him, her angel face full of trust, silently telling him that she would always believe in him to keep his word

Mean while up in Maxies room,

Lucas looked down at the wooden chest that was sitting in the middle of Maxie's bedroom.

"No way," he said, shaking his head.

Maxie told him, "It's the only way you can come with us."

"I won't even be able to breathe in there," he protested.

"Will too," she said. "I have hid in there during hide and seek plenty of times."

He tried another excuse, because the idea of riding in a trunk on a plane for hours seemed crazy to him. "My mom will notice I am gone in like five minutes flat."

"Not if she thinks you are at soccer camp. Tell her you singed up at school and forgot to tell her and that your riding there with a friend who is going to."

"What about my cloths and stuff",

"you still have cloths here from last time you spent the weekend , when your parents were at the doctors convention! Remember?

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "When did you get so good at scamming?"

"I'm not good, yet, but I will be one day," she said with a smile. Then she pointed at the trunk. "Now get in."


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning couldn't have come fast enough. While everyone else was carrying there things over to the van, Felicia was in the kitchen washing the rest of the dishes.

Maxie stood at the bottom of the stairs and whispered, "Coast is clear. Hurry up!"

Lucas jogged down the stairs and jumped in the trunk. Before she shut the lid he asked, "Are you sure it is a good idea for me to ride in here?"

"You want to come with us, don't you?"

"Well, yes, but…"

"Then get in!" Maxie exclaimed as she slammed the lid down.

Felicia walked into the room, about a second after the cover closed, "Who in the world are you talking to?"

"Myself. I do that, Mom. You know that. I talk to myself all the time. its normal really my hole class is doing it , its like the new black "

Felicia gave her a puzzled look and then said, "All right. Well, its good to see finally packed? I would think a suitcase would have been enough for you, like your sister and cousin. Let me see what you can leave at home so we don't have to lug that big thing through the airport."

Felicia headed toward the trunk. With a thud, Maxie plopped down on it. She crossed her arms over her chest. "You are dragging me all the way to Texas for my summer vacation. Can't I, at least, bring what I want? Isn't that fair, Mom?"

"I suppose so." Felicia headed outside to the van.

Maxie stood up.

Lucas whispered, "How am I supposed to breath?"

"Lift the cover if you need air. Duh."

Robin stuck her head in the door and asked, "Hey, Maxie, are you coming or what? Mac is getting testy."

A horn honked.

"See?" asked Robin

"Can you help me with my trunk?" Maxie asked her cousin.

They drug it to the front door and then out to the porch, all the while robin complaining about its heaviness Robin gave it a hard tug and it bumped down the stairs. She rolled her eyes at Maxie, "Did you pack your whole room in here?"

"no I left my teddies and dolls , maybe I should go get them"

"no don't trust me you wont need them , don't you have stuff in Texas to play with" by now Robin had almost reached the van and was asking Mac to help them with the trunk.

"yeah duh" said Maxie as she ran over to her chest.

"OUCH that hurt!" hissed Lucas softly.

"Shhh" Maxie whispered

A moment later, her step father walked over.

"You should have told me you needed help, honey."

Maxie's only reply was a cold "Thanks,. The young girl was still giving him attitude over not going to Texas with them. Her birth father was a no- show in her life. She hated when Mac seemed to be acting the same way. Though, deep inside, she knew he would always be there to save her if worse came to worst.

"My god! What's in that chest?" asked Mac after getting back into the drivers seat.

"Clothes" muttered Maxie. 

"Every piece of clothes she owns,"snarked Robin "Ever heard of not going overboard, Maxie?"

"Enough with the attitude!" screamed Felicia. It would be a long vacation if the girls kept behaving this way.

At the airport, Maxie asked "Daddy why can't you come just this once, for me… don't you love me?" Her tone was not sad like Georgie's the night before. Instead she was angry but underneath needy for him to prove his family was more important than work.

"Of course, I love you, but I have to work" said Mac.

That girl sure new how to play the daddy card with him. It worked more often that not but this time he couldn't give her what she wanted. It broke his heart to hear the insecurities in her voice- she should never have to doubt his love-but he had no choice but to stay in Port Charles right now. The mayor would have his butt fired if he went on vacation during the murder investigation they were working on.

Soon one of the male flight attendants came over to the family.

"Excuse me, little girl do you need help with your trunk?"He asked 

"Yes and I'm Maxie, not a little girl… I'm 10 almost 11" stated Maxie. She hated being called a little girl. In her mind, little girls were cry babies and, if there was one thing Maxie Jones wasn't, it was a cry baby.

"Ok, Maxie," he stressed her name " can I help you with your trunk?"

"Duh," sneered Maxie. "Not like I can do it alone, now, can I?"

The guy began to leave and Maxie asked "Where are you taking my trunk"

"To the luggage compartment."

Maxie's eyes widen. There was no way she could let that happen.

Inside the trunk, Lucas started to freak out. His hand went toward the lid, as he thought about blowing the whole crazy plan and getting out of this trunk before it was too late.


	3. Chapter 3

The flight assistant laid down the trunk.

"Why is your trunk moving?"

"I put my dog in it … so I could take her with me," lied Maxie. For a girl her age she was pretty good at thinking on her feet.

"Pets aren't aloud on the aircraft."

"Just give me a minute. I'll put her in the van … guess my dad will have to take her home."

The flight attendant began to walk away.

"Wait, where are you going?"asked Maxie .she wanted to make sure he would not return.

"Little girl you're not my only client I have to go help the other people" answered the attendant and with that said he walked away.

XXXXXXXXXX

Robin stood by the van, watching her youngest cousin try to carry her suitcase over to the airplane

"Come on bag, were almost there." Robin heard Georgie whisper and turned around to face her uncle and Felicia.

"Apparently Maxie isn't the only one talking to random objects." She chuckled then pointed to her little cousin and said "Uncle Mac , I think they need to see a specialist."

Shewalked over to Georgie

"Hi, Robbie," said Georgie. For some reason she loved calling her cousin Robbie . Robin disliked it butlet it slide just this once.

"Hey kiddo… Uh you do know the bag can't answer you, right? Cause bags aren't people and they can't talk."

"Its magical. My bag can if it wants to and walk too. But its just being dumb!" shrieked the little girl as she attempted to skip away but fell backwards on her rear

"Ouch," she yelled.

"Need help?" questioned Robin as she grabbed Georgies luggage and carried it to the luggage compartments of the large white and red aircraft.

When she was sure no one was looking, Maxie snuck Lucas on to the plane witch proved to be pretty easy cause everyone was either already in there seats or loading their luggage. Either way they were too busy to notice who was getting off and on the plane.

"You stay here!" said Maxie as she led Lucas to the very last row of seats and pointed to one of the chairs.

"Ah, do I have a choice?"

"Nope … now I'm gonna tell that dumbo luggage guy- or whatever he is- that I got Mac to take home the dog and now its just the trunk."

"You sure that will work?"

"Yup," said Maxie. If there was one thing the little girl was, it was sure of herself.


	4. Chapter 4

Maxis plan worked, well so far it did. The flight attendant bought her story about the dog and then bought it again when she said she got her father to bring it home.

"Told ya it would work," she exclaimed as she took a seat next to her cousin.

"When did you get this good at scheming?"Lucas asked

"Umm I got my ways" she said with a sly look on her face .Lucas knew enough to no his cousin had really thought this through and must practice scheming. "now you stay here I have to go find my seat I would sit here but my mom would wonder she would send someone to look for me and our cover would be blown like totally and I don't feel like spending my hole v-cay grounded" she added as she rolled her eyes .

"Hey it was your idea Blondie, remember you put me in that trunk I didn't ask you to do it"

"Whatever, see you later" Maxie said with a cherry tone in her voice as she skipped down the isle towards her seat.

Once she got here she saw her mother and sister sitting in there seats already. Maxie sat facing Felicia , who didn't seem to happy when she noticed her daughter was finally in her seat . Maxie saw the unpleased look on her mothers face. She knew her mother was about to question her .Maxie tried to think of something fast but couldn't so she just decided to wing it.

"Where have you been? I had to send your cousin out looking for you" Felicia asked in a bit of a disappointed tone.

Thinking quickly Maxie said "oh sorry … I forgot to tell you I boarded the plain earlier cuz I had to use the washroom"

"Next time tell me where your going I was worried half to death that something had happened to you !" exclaimed Felicia

" I'm sorry" Maxie said sympathetically although what she really wanted to say was _as if_ ,_you didn't worry bout us much when you went of on that trip with that guy and you probably weren't worried now you just want to look good in front of strangers_. But she decided against it. She was trying to put the past behind her and just be glad her mother did come back even though Maxie was still upset that Felicia left in the 1st place.


End file.
